"Sometimes we have events back-to-back, two and three a day for a couple weeks straight, and then we'll hit a slow period and we've got nothing," she said.

Other times, circumstances beyond Eubanks' control test her calm-under-pressure demeanor—such as when the electricity went out on her side of town the day of a big wedding reception.

"We're calling (the utility company), and they're telling us it's not going to be on until 7 and I'm like, 'People are going to be here at 5:30,'" she recalled. "The father of the bride was just freaking out."

In a kitchen lit by lanterns, she and her team kept the celebration on course.

"We learned how to steam things and do things that normally we'd need electricity for, but we did it all over the gas range," she said. The power was restored just as the first guests arrived.

Despite the sometimes-frantic nature of the business, Eubanks said her job is nearly always fun: "Some of the best times are when it's a make-it-work moment."

Nevertheless, whether she's cooking for a crowd of 600 or her family of four, Eubanks said it pays to be organized, select quality ingredients and avoid overcomplicated recipes.

"Food doesn't have to be complex to be really good, if you use good ingredients and just bring out their natural flavors. You want to taste everything," she said. "Just keep it simple."